The High Court on Friday disposed of a bunch of PILs on stray dog menace and directed the BBMP to ensure complete sterilisation and vaccination of all healthy stray dogs in its jurisdiction and frame guidelines to award compensation for stray dog attacks.
A Division Bench comprising Chief Justice Vikramajit Sen and Justice B V Nagarathna stated that it is advisable to entrust the responsibility of sterilisation and vaccination to NGOs or other agencies in a decentralised manner according to the rules.
A report of their activities should be submitted to the BBMP on a regular basis. Stray dogs, which are incurably ill or mortally wounded as diagnosed by a qualified veterinarians, should be euthanised. Furious or dumb rabid dogs to be dealt with and dogs, which are a menace or cause nuisance irrespective of whether there is evidence of such dogs having mauled or bitten children or adults, could be exterminated in the manner specified in the rules, the Bench said.
It directed the BBMP to set up a complaint cell on stray dog attacks and said, “The BBMP must take serious note of complaints with regard to unruly stray dogs by setting up a complaint cell in various zonal offices and act in accordance with law and sterilisation and vaccination of stray dogs must be carried out on a regular basis and by holding additional camps for the purpose. It has to ensure that rules for clearance of garbage are implemented so that garbage will not become a reason for the stray dog menace.”
“The BBMP should frame guidelines to provide compensation to the victims of attacks by the stray dogs. Owners should not let their dogs loose on the streets. Citizens must also bear in mind that street dogs also have a right to live and therefore, they must refrain from attacking these dogs with stones or beating etc.”
The bench gave liberty to six-year-old Jishnu, a victim of stray dog attack to seek enhancement of compensation by making a representation to the BBMP or by availing of any other remedy in accordance with law and disposed of his petition.